2010 Nissan Versa 1.8 SL Hatchback – Short Take Road Test

Still cheap, simple, and sensible, the littlest Nissan gets some minor enhancements for 2010. WHAT IS IT? Nissan’s least-expensive car and, in sedan form, one of the least-expensive cars you can buy, period. And it’s not totally awful. For 2010, the Nissan Versa includes a few barely noticeable enhancements (new grille, wheels, and wheel covers) […]

Steve Siler

Dec 9, 2009

Still cheap, simple, and sensible, the littlest Nissan gets some minor enhancements for 2010.

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WHAT IS IT?

Nissan’s least-expensive car and, in sedan form, one of the least-expensive cars you can buy, period. And it’s not totally awful. For 2010, the Nissan Versa includes a few barely noticeable enhancements (new grille, wheels, and wheel covers) on the outside, as well as a new gauge cluster and audio-system lineup on the inside. Like Mazda with its popular 3, Nissan is trying to position its hatchback as the premium model, so hatchback Versas in the nicer SL trim get “sport” interior and exterior packages. A slab of wood-grain trim is also available on the SL hatch. Hatchbacks come standard with a 122-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, whereas the sedan comes with a choice of that or, for value-conscious customers, a smaller, 1.6-liter four-pot with 107 hp powering a model that also ditches the radio and power accessories and makes A/C optional. (Interestingly, although the 1.6 model is the value choice, it sees no benefit in fuel economy, with the 1.6 manual sedan getting 26 city/34 highway mpg ratings from the EPA, the same scores that the 1.8 with the CVT achieves.)